Page 61 of Double Booked

“So?”

“The guy wants her back.”

“She must be a keeper.”

She is. “She lives in Michigan.”

Robert’s eyes widened. “How’d you meet her?”

“It’s a funny story.”

Robert leaned back in his chair. “Go ahead. I’ve got time.”

Desperate to share it with someone, the story bubbled out of him. He started with their first meeting and ended with Patrick’s appearance, leaving out some of the intimate details in between. When he’d finished, he took a long drink of coffee and waited for his dad to weigh in.

“I don’t see the problem.”

Cole raised his eyebrows. “Weren’t you listening?”

“I heard every word. Still don’t see the problem.”

“Dad.”

They both stilled. It had been a long time since Cole had called him that. After his parents’ divorce, he’d started calling him Robert, in a show of loyalty to his mom.

“She kicked the guy out and removed him from her phone. What more proof do you need that she’s over him, skywriting?”

Cole laughed, something else he hadn’t done with his dad in quite some time. Then he sobered again. “She’s going home in a couple of weeks.”

“I hear Michigan is a nice place to visit.”

“You’re making everything sound so simple.”

Robert shook his head. “Not simple. Doable. Anything is doable if you want it bad enough.”

“What about you and Mom? Did you ever try to get back together with her?”

“Too much time has passed, and this isn’t about us. This is about you and your lady friend.”

“Eden,” he said, loving the sound of her name.

“More coffee?” Robert asked.

“Sure.” He didn’t really need it, but it was a good distraction.

Robert refilled both their cups and then sat back down. “So, what now? I’m glad you came to visit, but you can’t hide out here indefinitely.”

“I’m not hiding out,” he said. He so was.

“If this is something you really want, don’t run away from it. Tell her.”

“It happened so fast, though. It’s like something that happens in a movie, not in real life.”

“Where do you think movie ideas come from? C’mon, son. You’re smarter than that.”

Son? It was crazy how good it made him feel hearing his dad call him that. “So, I’m just supposed to go home—to the cabin—and tell her I want to make a go of this?”

Robert nodded. “What have you got to lose?”